How Has Your Enthusiasm Grown or Changed?

[LiveForTheLaunch]

I was having this discussion with my boyfriend on the way to Six Flags New England two weeks ago, about how I have been an enthusiast since before I was a teenager, but over those two decades, the nature of my enthusiasm has sort of shifted. I used to be very interested in gathering facts and data about rides, knowing all their statistics, and really geeking out about the engineering behind them. I want to say this is because I wasn't able to ride them as frequently, so this was the next best thing for me. As I got a bit older and able to travel, I was still interested in some of the technical stuff, but on a smaller scale because I was actually more able to visit parks, and so I spent a lot of summers on longer trips doing park after park. This is where things really changed for me now. While I had so much fun doing those things and created some of the best memories those summers, the idea of literally going from park open to park close, driving for hours, sleeping a minimal amount of time, driving hours, and doing it again for weeks on end does not sound appealing to me at all these days. In fact, it makes me shudder. I wanted the cred count to get higher, and I wanted more parks under my belt, but at the expense of not truly being able to soak in each park because it was always a massive rush around.

Nowadays, life has gotten more busy and hectic, and I've obviously been able to do less long trips, but I much prefer just taking my time at parks, throwing culture days or city-roaming days in between. I like to be at parks at opening for crowd purposes, but I don't bother staying all day in the heat for night rides (unless it's something like Beast) because I'd rather head out to a bar or restaurant and enjoy the night that way before getting a decent rest. Actually, the trip I did with a few members back in 2017 was a great mix of being able to take our time, not rush around, but still go to plenty of great parks. I think that was where things really shifted for me. I'm not a recluse or anything, but I also prefer to keep it to smaller groups. Large groups are fun, but it can be exhausting and annoying to cater to like, what twenty people want. I'd rather do what I want to do

So how has your enthusiasm changed throughout the years? Maybe you're just getting into it, and if that's the case, where do you want it to go?

 

[Heth]

In the past I'd be more adamant to get on everything. This would result in a lot of rushing around. Nowadays I'm more keen to prioritise the things I'm most interested in and otherwise just try and relax and pace myself and enjoy non-ride activities (like food). This is fueled partly by a reduced ride tolerance but also the fact that these are holidays from work and I want to chill too.

 

[rob666]

Amusingly, over the decades, it has become a strange combination of simple "bodily function" and feeding a basic drug habit...
Haven't had a coaster in a while and I get grumpy and moody, go for a quick fix at the Beach, a bit of me time...gossip, dodgems, a couple of coasters and two small beers...sometimes chuck myself into the sea...I'm happy again...different, tolerant and happy.
That usually lasts two or three weeks.
Closed season keeps it fresh, occasional new coasters keep it interesting.
Was getting worried how long I can last...then they built Icon, I should be safe for another decade or two.
Proper old git coaster.

 

[JoshC.]

Oooh, this is a great question.

I can't pinpoint when my enthusiasm started really. I grew up in Chertsey, about a 30min walk from Thorpe. I went there all the time growing up, so really I feel like I've been enthusiastic for as long as I can remember. I visited Chessington and Legoland occasionally too, but with no one in the family driving when I grew up, they were a bit of a faff getting to in comparison. I visited Disneyland Paris for my 3rd birthday (a trip my mum spent a lot of time saving up for) - but that was more 'because it's Disney' than 'because it's a theme park'.

So really, I wasn't a coaster enthusiast or whatever at first, I was a Thorpe enthusiast. And that worked out great too - I was growing up at the same time Thorpe was 'growing up'. I was visiting all the time from when it transformed from a local independent park, to the accelerated growth that Tussauds pumped it. I got to visit Alton Towers for the first time when I was 12, and that obviously got me a bit more interested in what was out there.

I joined online forums for the first time when I was 14. With that came the intent following of planning applications at Thorpe, following construction of Saw and learning the ins and outs of the park. It was still an exciting time for the park, even if their development was slowing.

At the same time, I was becoming more familiar with other parks, learning what was out there and being excited by what there was. To me, visiting any of those parks was an almost unachievable pipe dream though. I remember looking at POVs of coasters from magical parks, the likes of Phantasialand, and thinking how cool they were.

A random thing that sticks with me is, when I first started uni, I made a bucket list. One of those things was to "ride 200 different coasters". It was at a time when my cred count was 23, and 200 seemed like a far away distant dream.

It wasn't till I was 20 that I again visited a park outside of Merlin: Drayton Manor. That was with a friend I had made through going on a Thorpe forum meet. At this point, I was still very much a Thorpe enthusiast, but I had a clear interest in theme parks more broadly. I was following the latest happenings across the industry, and like so many others, was obsessed with the facts and figures.

With that same friend, and others, I did my first 'proper' abroad theme park trip when I was 21, hitting up the likes of Phantasialand, Efteling and more. It was amazing. It gave me the travel bug, as it were. After that, I grew into wanting to experience more parks. I more described myself as a theme park enthusiast, who happens to have a special spot for Thorpe Park.

At that same time, I also started working for Thorpe Park and Merlin, for just over 3 years. I think, somewhat naturally, my Thorpe enthusiasm waned a bit, because I was spending so much of life there. But at the same time, I was visiting more parks, travelling more, expanding my horizons. So My broader theme park enthusiasm grew.

During this time, I was very much focused on enjoying parks. The trips I'd be going on, I'd be going on with a focus on enjoying the parks. The ideas of a 'cred run' didn't feel like me. I would spend a lot of time researching parks, knowing what to expect, where to go, etc. But I'd also want to give each park more focus and value. I became less interested in facts and figures (though I still liked them).

I think, looking back, Covid was a real game-changer for my enthusiasm. Not being able to visit parks as much, or travel to new places, changed things. I also grew apart from the core people who I'd usually visit abroad parks with.

These days, my enthusiasm is focused on growing my cred count, whilst also getting to experience as many different places as possible. The last 2 years, all my abroad trips have been solo, which has been a lot more freeing in deciding when and where to go. I've done trips abroad in a day at the last minute, I've done week-long road trips. Theme park enthusiasm is my main hobby; it's what I invest my spare time and money into and I love it. I love meeting up with other goons and discussing parks (and still plan to go abroad with some in the future). I love being on forums and contributing when I can. And I still have a special spot for Thorpe (and help run a Thorpe fansite).

So yeah, my enthusiasm has grown and developed a lot over the years. I'm curious to see how it will change in the future. I do expect that at one point or another, my trips will become less frequent and my style will change, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it all the same!

 

[Rob Coasters]

Back in the day, I had to be torn out from a park kicking screaming & crying. Quite literally. My 9th birthday I left Adventure Island in tears, after having done almost every single major ride, because I couldn't find the "safari train" kid's ride and it was time to go home.

These days with about half of those parks I'd be the first one to raise a white flag now, but with the other half, I'm still asking to this day if we can spend just a little longer in there while at the same time understanding the limits of the other people I visit with. I don't want to sound like I'm bragging, but I'm yet to visit a park with anyone who can keep up the pace that I can when it comes to rides. That combined with the stupid distances I need to travel for them nowadays means that I visit most parks on my own now.

The standards have inevitably increased out of my control as I ride better things, but I would argue my enthusiasm has gotten even worse (better?) than it ever has been. With the length of travel I'm willing to do reaching concerningly record levels, I'd say it has grown. Considerably. And my pace around parks only continues to speed up.

Excited for what's to come.

 

[ScottLann]

Can't remember the exact dates on when my enthusiasm changed, but it's something along the lines of...

2001-2005 : Hadn't been to any parks besides the one at my local shopping centre (Metroland) and was starting to play games like Roller Coaster Tycoon which got me more into the idea of bigger theme parks.

2006-2010 : My family had taken me to Alton Towers and Flamingo Land a few times. I was obsessed with these parks and specifically the roller coasters there. This was when I started looking more at YouTube videos on different roller coasters across the world and hoping one day I'd get on them all.

2011-2015 : At this point, my parents weren't as bothered about rides as much anymore however my aunty and uncle were still huge lovers of theme parks and coasters so they kept this passion going! They were taking me further afield to places such as Thorpe Park and Drayton Manor where I started to count my 'Top 5'. I had also started to realise what the different types of coasters were and who was manufacturing them.

2017-2018 : These were the two years where it really got more serious for me, I think. I had finished school, started an apprenticeship and was looking at so many forums on my lunch breaks where my interest had grown on roller coaters even more, and more specifically, the construction of new ones (Wicker Man was the first one I closely followed). Then in 2018, my aunty and uncle had decided it was time to take me on my first ever theme park trip abroad, to Florida! At this point, I was mainly bothered about the roller coasters and the idea of spending a lot of time at Disney and going on 'family rides' didn't appeal to me much. However, I realised that they were just as fun and that theming also played a huge part in how good a ride experience is.

2019 : At this point I started counting my coaster credits and realising that I wasn't too far away from the 100 mark, I was keen to venture out to more parks which included a first time trip to PortAventura.

2020 - 2022 : Due to COVID-19, I was stuck just doing UK parks most of these years but managed to get back to Florida in 2022 which was amazing (especially since I got on my first RMC which was a major bucket list achievement!!) After this trip however, it had started to sink in that in the next few years, my family may not be as bothered about theme parks anymore and might have gotten too old to go on the bigger coasters...so with this in mind...

2023 : I was keen to start travelling to new parks that I wanted to go to (perhaps ones that others in my family weren't so interested in). With this in mind, I booked my first abroad theme park trips to the likes of Walibi Holland with my partner and also a solo trip to my top bucket list park, Phantasialand. Now that I realise how simple it is to do this, I'm definitely at a point in my 'theme park enthusiast life' where I'm ready to start travelling more on my own or with my partner to the parks that I had always wanted to visit, even as a kid. I'm not that bothered about a coaster count anymore (although I still love to keep track of how many I've done), I'm more interested in just visiting parks that offer world-class roller coasters, theming and overall experiences.

 

[Christian]

I'm just 20 years old, so I am still at the beginning of my enthusiasm. But I can already see some changes. I have already been lucky enough to visit some of the best parks in the world and ridden some of the best coasters. This has made me more relaxed when visiting parks nowadays. A couple of years ago, park visits used to be mad dashes to do as much as possible. Nowadays it's a more of a casual stroll around doing what I like. If a coaster doesn't seem appealing, I am not going to rush to cram it in. I will rather spend my time riding or experiencing what I enjoy. I might have a beer, watch a show. These things where unthinkable before, it was coasters and credits before all else (and I wasn't allowed to drink either).

Another thing that happens more and more nowadays are repeat park visits. It is just a lovely feeling to get back to a park that I like, it's like meeting an old friend. On repeat visits I do only what I like and they are usually really casual. Unless I am with a first visit enthusiast and he wants to run around like crazy to do everything, then I have to do that.

This general switch in attitude can also be reflected in the way I experience new places. Back in the day, I always made lists of things to see and do. Nowadays, it's more going out and experiencing the vibe. Be with friends, go to pubs, go to clubs, go on dates, spend hours in some art museum or church that I really like or just do some weird spontaneous thing. It's just being more carefree and enjoying the moment, knowing that I will one day come back.

 

[Sandman]

My enthusiast days started back in the early 2000's and I officially became a CF loyal enthusiast in 2005.

I'd say my 'enthusiasm' has been hugely varied over the years, often dependent on what else is going on in life. It's always been there in some form though.

Back in my teenage years, I did the usual crap. Counting creds, micro analysing construction sites, ate the coaster stats and facts for breakfast.

I'm way more casual now, in the sense that I don't count creds, I don't have a huge interest in the nitty gritty engineering details. I'd even pass up a behind the scenes tour of a coaster for more re-rides if truth be told.

One thing I have noticed is that I actually pay less attention to the industry as a whole in order to preserve my own interest and fascination. I'm one of those types that becomes very bored and disillusioned by the vast number of vlogs, social media posts and sheer amount of enthusiast content these days.

I take pleasure from not having everything dished out to me on a plate. I like having to dig out info myself, figure things out on Google maps (screw travel vlogs) and generally feel like I don't know everything. It can be quite boring and sad (for me, personally) knowing about all the big coasters and parks, having seen all the POV's etc. I like secrets, myths, rumours, anywhere where my imagination can have fun.

Is there a word for somebody who does not enjoy knowing everything and who takes pleasure in feeling like a small fish in a huge pond? Because that's what I'm like.

 

[themepark_hannah]

Grown 100%.

Since I turned to work, I've been looking into booking a trip to Germany to visit Fantasialand.

I've only really been to UK parks and as much as I love them, Germany has always been a dream destination.

 

[Sandman]

Grown 100%.

Since I turned to work, I've been looking into booking a trip to Germany to visit Fantasialand.

I've only really been to UK parks and as much as I love them, Germany has always been a dream destination.

I absolutely envy you. There's nothing quite like that first leap over to the mainland, and right now it's never been better with all the delicious creds we've had crop up over the last several years.

Germany, I would say, is the crème de la crème in my opinion, but you can't forget the likes of the Netherlands and Belgium. Put them all together and you've got yourself the holy trinity of European roadtrips.

 

[FistedColossus]

I think I'm more of an airtime enthusiast now. Was a proper geek as a youth in the 00s and got bored of it all. Mainly because the UK coasters are all a bit crap.

Then in 2016ish I went on Taron and it made me realise how many good coasters are actually out there waiting to be discovered.

Getting ejected is like crack to me. Need a good fix every few months. If a park doesn't have an airtime machine I probably won't visit.

 

[Matt N]

That's an interesting question!

It's hard for me to say, really. I guess my enthusiasm has changed in some ways, but I'd struggle to pinpoint too many real defining moments as such. It's just sort of... gradually happened, for lack of a better term.

I always went to theme parks as a child and always really enjoyed them. I went to my first theme park in 2008, when my parents took me and my sister to Drayton Manor to visit the then newly opened Thomas Land, and I rode my first and second coasters in Troublesome Trucks Runaway Coaster and Buffalo Mountain Coaster (as it was then known), respectively, on that visit!

However, it was my second theme park that I definitely formed the strongest connection with by far; Alton Towers. I first visited Alton Towers in 2009, and we went for at least one weekend at Alton Towers every year as kids; I have not missed a season since that first visit in 2009, I've ridden Thirteen, Smiler and Wicker Man in their opening seasons, and I have spent a cumulative 40 days in Alton Towers over the course of my life! I've definitely seen the park's highs and lows over the years, and it is a park that I've developed a very deep-rooted affection for over many years.

Before I would have said I got properly into this hobby in 2013 or so, I actually went to a surprising number of theme parks both in Britain and abroad; I recently worked out that I went to over 10 different theme parks pre-2013. However, Alton Towers formed a considerable bulk of my early theme park experiences, so when I first got into this hobby, I'd say I was more of an Alton Towers enthusiast than a theme park enthusiast. The thing that steered me towards theme park enthusiasm in the first place was seeing the SW7 construction fence at Alton Towers in 2012 and wanting to find out more, and then later following the late stages of Smiler's construction phase and ultimately riding it and Alton Towers' other big coasters upon hitting 1.4m tall in September 2013. Riding those big rides for the first time properly got me invested, and I'd say that that was when I grew properly into this stuff and started wanting to find out more.

However, I'd say it took me a year or two to branch out of simply being an Alton Towers enthusiast and start getting interested in other theme parks too. Interestingly, I'd actually say that one of the things that got me interested in other places aside from Alton Towers was actually finding YouTube channels like Coaster Studios and Theme Park Worldwide; these sorts of channels were very formative for me in my pre-teen years, as they showed me that there were other theme parks in the world aside from Alton Towers and the bubble of other theme parks that I went to as a child and how great they were. Reading forums like this one had a very similar effect; I read forums for a couple of years before joining any, and they really showed me what the rest of the world was like in terms of theme parks.

Over time, I gradually started to stray outside of the Merlin bubble and go to new places. And in 2016/17 or so, I did start to grow more interested in the statistical side of the hobby by working out my coaster count and making my first top 10 ranking, and that is an interest that has grown with time; I now have numerous theme park enthusiasm-related spreadsheets and a full, exhaustive ranking of all 107 roller coasters I've ever ridden!

My most recent "step", if you like, was probably in September 2021, when I had my first ever solo theme park day at Thorpe Park. I later extended that boundary by having my first ever lone theme park trip on public transport to Drayton Manor in June 2022. While I haven't really had the opportunity to extend that boundary further this year, those initial few trips proved to me that I can go places on my own rather than having to rely solely on my parents, and I hope to push my boundaries further in this regard in the years to come.

So in terms of my answer to the question; I guess my enthusiasm has grown over the years. I'd say that I've grown into more of a theme park enthusiast rather than solely an Alton Towers enthusiast, even though I do still hold a very deep-rooted personal affection for Alton Towers and visit the park at least once a season. I'd also say that I've grown to enjoy and embrace the statistical side of the hobby more as the years have gone on, and I'd also say that I'm gradually growing into doing parks solo rather than solely with my family.

 

[Archie]

I'm not too sure when it began. When I was little I always enjoyed going to the Christmas fairground we had in our town, but my interest in roller coasters and theme parks started the first time we went to Alton Towers in 2012. The strange thing is, I was interested in roller coasters and rides of all kinds but I was completely terrified of them. My first time on a major roller coaster was Air in 2015, I did it once after 3 hours of watching it trying to build up the courage, and I had massive sensory overload because it was just unlike anything I had ever experienced, the seats, the sounds the forces everything. I have autism and at time every tiny little thing had a huge impact on me, and I didn't even try going on it until 2017 I think. at some point I went on wicker man in 2018 and i did actually like it but I really only got into roller coasters in 2021 when I went on all of the coasters at Alton towers for the first time, and I think it was because the pandemic being stuck inside made me think about all the time I had wasted not going on rides being worried about whether I would enjoy them or not. Nemesis was the first and just like many people who go on Nemesis for the first time, its much more fun than scary. I did all of the coasters in the end except smiler because it was SBNO at the end of 2021, but I did do it in 2022. now even though I do get a bit scared of new rides I still want to give them all a go. I think my enthusiasm for theme parks and roller coasters can be summed up as a mix between an interest in the engineering and creative side but also as a symbol of me overcoming my fears if that make sense.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

I'm not gonna go back to the beginning, I think I've done that several times on here, but I will comment on the current state of play. I have not visited a single park or ridden a single coaster this year...

But my enthusiasm has not waned in the slightest, quite the opposite, this abstinence is almost like some religious symbolism.

At the start of the season, I was too busy, fixing a few things in real life. Once that was all done and dusted, it was June already, school trip season, and for one thing, I prefer not to visit then, but more importantly, that's also the start of music festival season, so that has been taking up most of my free time so far this year.

I'm pretty much done with festivals now, (although I may do another this month,) and I'm really craving a visit to Alton Towers, but part of me also wants to avoid any coasters this year. You see, my enthusiasm pretty much started with Nemesis in 1994, that and the Missile at AA. Nemesis was the last coaster I rode, in fact I marathoned her all night on the final night of Fireworks, whilst others were watching the show, and then stayed for the 'last rides' ceremony. I'd absoloutely love it now, if my next coaster ride was on Nemesis 2.0!!! How cool would that be?

But I'm not sure I'm going to last, Halloween is my absolute favourite time in the parks. September isn't far behind, with them being so quiet. Believe it or not, I'm also missing some of the d***heads I normally to visit parks with...

 

[Snoo]

The passage of time was the biggest thing.

This forum was my high school and college days.. learning about the ins and outs of the industry, the hobby, the people.

Now, I'm just out experiencing it. Making connections and doing my own thing with the podcast and club.

It helps that I now have responsibilities with a career and 3 kids but yeah.. I grew up.

 

[chainedbanana]

My first love was 'theme' parks as a whole, with dark rides being my first fascination.

I've become more a roller coaster enthusiast over time..... and I'm still not a full blown 'thrill seeker' - but I have got better and do more drop towers etc now as I've got used to them.

I like my coasters fun and with personality - and like to almost get a physical 'story' out the way they move me.

I only took cred counting seriously in lockdown at the age of almost 40.... despite being into rides and parks since the age of 6. My first interest is in riding things I think I'd enjoy.... I really saw no point in riding another SLC for the sake of it, this means over the years I've missed a lot of creds as I've just not done them if I didn't fancy them i.e. it took me 4 visits to AT to get on Smiler.... as previously I just sacked it off because I wasn't feeling it! My history is riddled with 'self-spites'!

But now I'm in 'the game' - and get it! It adds a new dimension to it all - and supports the social narrative.

Also I've become more interested in fairs... particularly European ones - and riding rare and old things, i.e. 'Huss only every make 1 of XYZ model flat ride' - and 'it tours in South west France' etc.... that's a whole new unlocked rabbit hole - but proves to be quirky and fascinating. As well as chasing old and rare models i.e Bayern curves..... it's like collecting experiences - even if sometimes they are bad... you understand what a ride/machine does and how it effects the body!

I'd glad I still have my original love of dark rides etc - as that will support my old age/inferm plan of if I can't ride extreme things forever I can at least enjoying being in parks, and doing shows, walkthroughs, etc - which still peak my interest.

 

[Hyde]

In a phrase, "slowed my roll" is probably the best describer.

Like many others posting in this thread, high school and college years were focused on maximizing ride cycles from park open to park close. Nabbing new credits, optimizing park visits to focus on maximum roller coaster ride counts, and obsessing over every statistic and nuance of roller coaster design (shudders looking back at early CF Forum posts) during the off-season were all the topics du jour.

In earnest, my enthusiasm started taking some severe turns during the end of my college years, when I was focusing on internship and career exposures over joining up for some longer coaster treks (something I am still making up for to this day on some missed coasters and parks!). This created a dichotomy I still wrestle with today: balancing everyday work-life challenges with a hobby that generally requires a fair amount of travel and time-off availability. My coaster enthusiasm also has to share a lot of time with my other hobbies and pursuits, such as kayaking, hiking, cycling, and camping; many hobby mouths to feed, with roller coasters often taking the back seat! And it's shown in my coaster count, which is still ticking towards 300.

There was a sweet spot starting in 2019 when I had to travel more often for work (I work for a national non-profit that's focused on working with cities and governments in deploying fleet EVs and charging), which created a massively juicy opportunity to bat clean-up on many of my remaining U.S. domestic parks. But this thing called Covid put a quick crimp on travels for 2020, and just not meant to be.

Today, I'm still utilizing work travel opportunities to visit parks as possible and trying to be better at using greater vacation time flexibility to join up with friends at parks. My pace at parks has dramatically slowed, being far quicker to stop for a proper sit-down lunch or grab a beer to take in the view (or even leave the park for the nearest brewery mid-day!). That is to say, one or two rides on a coaster are great for me, and I feel far quicker diminishing returns to re-ride over and over. My enthusiasm has shifted to the experience of park-going vibes versus being laser-focused on riding coasters exclusively.

 

[Boodangy]

I've said this on some other thread, but my enthusiasm has calmed down a lot for a couple reasons.

For one, my dreams of traveling the world's parks and coasters has pretty much disappeared and that's largely due to an observation that very few thoosies who get that opportunity keep the same wonder and excitement for parks as people who get to only do it now and then. It becomes overly analytical and "this isn't quite as good as X" or "Flying Aces is just okay there's a slight rattle in the back left car" and I don't know. Maybe they're having fun but it doesn't show as visible excitement anymore.

Now, granted there's another big reason for my enthusiasm changing to a more "I'll take what I can get" approach and that is the cold hard fact of money. I'm essentially disabled and can't work full time so needless to say I can't exactly afford international travel for coasters, at best I can visit my local park and another park every few years and that kind of prevents a growing enthusiasm. Of course I'm still very excited about changes to my local park and enjoy spending time there and would like to go back to my favourites abroad. I just don't bother with dreaming anymore.

 

[rob666]

Hey, buy a lottery ticket every month...we can all dream of the big world trip over a couple of months.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Hey, buy a lottery ticket every month...we can all dream of the big world trip over a couple of months.

When (not if) I win the lottery next weekend, I'll pay for a whole coach load full of CF regulars to do a 6 week long US tour, I promise